Confronting the father
by meerlorre
Summary: REVAMPED AND EDITED. What if Vegeta was granted the chance of speaking with his father? What if he could talk to him, and tell him about his life? What would King Vegeta say? And most importantly, would King Vegeta answer all of his questions? R&R.
1. Prologue:A surprise for Vegeta

_A/N: This story is set a couple of years prior to the start of DragonballGT. _

_One HUGE thanks to severussweetie, who helped me out with the plot! Thank you sooo much, you're the reason I was able to write this!_

_Hope all of you enjoy this story, and please, please, please REVIEW!_

_Just in case: character thinks, "..." character speaks_

"Wow, dad. That was a pretty close shave" Trunks said as he dodged one of his fathers blasts.

He landed on the floor of the gravity room, looking up at the ceiling, trying to find his father.

Vegeta suddenly appeared in front of him, and they started fighting again. "Don't let your guard down, boy." Vegeta said as he threw another punch at his son.

They had been training for a very long time now, and Trunks was getting tired. Luckily for him, the computer screen in the GR suddenly showed Bulma's face on it.

"Trunks, Vegeta, dinner's ready!" A computerized version of Bulma was saying.

"All right mom, we'll be right there!" Trunks shouted as he fired another blast at his father.

Ten minutes later, Trunks and Vegeta were walking towards the dining room of Capsule Corporation.

Their house was probably the largest in West City and just crossing the distance between the gravity room and the main entrance to the residence took a while.

Vegeta looked at his son, and couldn't help a but feeling a little proud of him: Trunks had fought well and was still showing improvement after every training session. After getting his ass kicked at the last World Tournament, Vegeta was happy to note that Trunks has taken more interest in his training again. And for the first time in his life, he actually hoped that his son was proud of him too. Never having had a father, he didn't know how to relate to Trunks.

They were walking towards the dining room in silence, and Vegeta couldn't help but wonder how his father was.

He was in Hell, no doubt about that. Probably stuck somewhere with Cell and Frieza. He smirked. The thought of his father having to spend an eternity in the company of Frieza actually amused him.

_Could it be possible that father was seeing me? That he knew what was going on in my life? _Vegeta shook off that thought. There was no way his father could possibly know that he had achieved his goal. _Would he have been proud of me? _Vegeta thought. _Or would he have been ashamed of the fact that I'm mated to an earthling? Would he have been proud that the Saiyan race survived, or would he kill the brats for being half-breed?_

These questions had been bugging Vegeta ever since he mated Bulma. King Vegeta was not a very kind man, that he was certain of. His father had always been very strict, and he had been tougher on him than the average father. But somewhere deep inside, Vegeta had always thought that a part of his father was proud of him. There had been times that he had warmed up to him.

"Hey, dad. Check it out! Isn't that the Supreme Kai over there?" Trunks yelled out. "That's not possible" Vegeta said with a look of disbelief on his face. "Just look, dad!" And Trunks pointed towards a familiar purple face. A very familiar face.

The Supreme Kai had been waiting for Vegeta for over an hour now, and he smiled kindly when he saw him and Trunks walking towards him.

"Ah, hello Vegeta. It's been a long time" the Kai said as he shook Vegeta's hand.

Vegeta nodded in response to the Kai's words, and the Supreme Kai just kept on smiling. The Saiyan prince soon regained his composure and masked his shock at the Kai's visit. "There are a few things I would like to discuss with you. Shall we proceed inside?" Vegeta nodded again and walked into a room with the Kai and Trunks following him.

"Well, Vegeta. Here we are. Ten Earth-years later. Perhaps it has failed to come to your attention, but precisely ten years ago, you came back from the dead for one day, and helped us defeat Majin Buu. Do you remember that day, Vegeta?" The Supreme Kai asked.

Vegeta chuckled. "Hn, it's not something to forget that easily, now is it?" He said sarcastically.

The Supreme Kai just kept on smiling, unaffected by Vegeta's mocking tone.

"Well, the older Kai and I have been talking about it very often, and we both felt that you coming back to Earth to fight, even though you were already dead, was something so brave, that surely it needs to be rewarded."Vegeta's eyes widened. A reward? He smirked. _Perhaps this could be it._ _The moment I have been waiting for all my life_

"Well, I obviously can't grant you things such as more power, or anything that could endanger the Universe, but apart from that, I will grant you one wish, maybe something the dragonballs can't give you?" The Supreme Kai looked at Vegeta as if he knew exactly what Vegeta would wish for.

Vegeta's mind was going crazy. He had a thousand ideas, one more unlikely than the other. Suddenly his face grew stern. "I trust it that this is not some ridiculous joke!"

"No, of course not Vegeta!" The Supreme Kai said shocked. He did not want to end up on Vegeta's wrong side, and was trying to convince him that he was not joking. Vegeta bowed his head, and tried to think of something he could wish for, that wouldn't endanger the people on Earth.

And then it hit him.

Vegeta raised his head and looked the Supreme Kai in the eyes. "I wish to speak to my father."


	2. I take it you have some questions

_A/N Thank you sooo much for all the reviews! Please continue reviewing, it means EVERYTHING to me!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own DragonballZ or any of it's characters. Please don't sue.**

"Your father?" the Supreme Kai asked with a look of disbelief. Vegeta nodded slowly. "Vegeta, the King of all Saiyans."

"Your wish is to speak to your father?" the Kai repeated slowly.

"Yes." Came the reply.

"Vegeta, the king of the Saiyans?" Vegeta frowned at the Kai's words. His slow response was aggravating him. _Is this the creature that rules the Universe? Pfeh, no wonder thousands of planets get destroyed. He's almost slower than Kakarrot. _" I wasn't aware I had a speech impediment." Vegeta said while crossing his arms and scowling. He was still waiting for a response when Trunks decided to speak.

"Erm, dad, are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked unsurely. "Maybe you should take some time to think about it." _No, I'm not sure_. Vegeta thought. "Be quiet boy, this is none of your concern." Vegeta snapped at his son. Trunks was thrown aback by the harshness of his father's tone. "Fine, just don't come complaining to me, dad." Trunks said as he left the room, his facial expression an uncanning resemblence to Bulma's.

Finally, the Supreme Kai spoke up. "You do know I can't bring him to life, don't you? He would pose as a threat to the universe, I will not take any risks." Vegeta nodded again. The Supreme Kai sighed, and faced Vegeta. "Very well, then. You seem to be pretty certain. I will pick you up tomorrow morning, Earth time. Right now, I have to go arrange security and inform the beings responsible for his care. You do realize that if he refuses to speak to you, the deal is off, right?"

Vegeta frowned again. He seemed to be in deep thought; he closed his eyes and bowed his head."He won't." and with that, Vegeta flew off.

Four hours later, as Vegeta was flying around in the mountains, he couldn't help but think about what Trunks and the Supreme Kai had said. _What if he did refuse? What if this was a mistake on my part, and father just wants nothing to do with me. Damn it. _He fired blasts at a mountain to calm him down, but somehow, he couldn't shut out the annoying voice in his head that was telling him: _He won't do it. He won't speak to you. And even if you force him, he'll lie. _

'Aaaaargh'. Vegeta was powering up, trying to get all the thoughts out of his head. He was causing an earthquake with the sheer amount of force of his blue ki. As he unleashed his power, he heard a voice behind him say "I think it's time to go home now, dad."

He turned around and saw his son standing behind him. "What the hell are you doing here, boy?" Vegeta demanded. "Mom sent me." Trunks answered calmly. "She asks if you could please come home."

"Tell her I'll be back soon"

* * *

"Woman!" Vegeta yelled as he was calling his mate.

"The name is Bulma!" she answered as she entered their bedroom. Vegeta smirked at Bulma's response; his name for her has never failed to annoy his wife.

"Trunks told me about your wish." She said with a content smile. "Would you like me to find you some pictures?" "No." Vegeta answered gruffly. "Oh, come on! Don't you want to show your father how beautiful your daughter is? Or show off your strong son? Or even boast about your incredibly good-looking wife?" She said with a wink. "He's not going to believe you, if you don't show him, you know."

Suddenly Vegeta's face fell and his fatigue was visible.

Bulma smiled and wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck. "What's wrong, Vegeta?" she asks slightly worried. He sat down on their bed, and took a good look at his mate. She looked stunning. She was already in her pink nightgown, but even in such a ridiculous garment did she look more beautiful than ever. She had short hair again, just like ten years ago, and even though she looked a little older, she still had that youthfullness in her voice and appearance.

"Why do you look so sad, I'd thought you'd be...happy?" She asked him. She couldn't help but sound dissapointed. Vegeta sighed. "It's been...a long time since I've spoken with a Saiyan." was all he said.

"Well, you've spoken to Goku and Gohan lots of times" "Oh yes." Vegeta mocked. "No-brain and his son are real Saiyans."

Bulma sat there, and for a long time, she was just looking at Vegeta. "You're afraid." She suddenly said.

"I fear nothing."

"Yes, you do. You're scared that your father dissaproves of you marrying me, you're afraid he won't like our children, and you're worried he'll think you're weak." Vegeta's expression may have been blank for anyone else, but Bulma knew how to read her husband.

"Quiet!" He yelled. "I fear nothing. I am the prince of all Saiyans! I have nothing to fear!"

Bulma approached Vegeta again. And as she put her arms around his neck, she whispered something in his ear: "The only thing the prince of Saiyans could possibly fear, is the King of all Saiyans. You have nothing to be ashamed of. He has no right to judge you, he missed out on your youth, so he can't tell you what you can or cannot do with your life. He's your father, Vegeta, and I know you respect his opinion, but I think he'll also understand that you're a grown man, one that is perfectly capable of making his own decisions. He won't judge you. Don't worry. And even if it doesn't turn out the way you would have wanted it, just remember: I love you, the kids love you, and you'll always have a place to come home to. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be great!"

Vegeta looked in to her eyes, and saw nothing but honesty in them. He sighed deeply, and took her into his arms. He kissed her deeply, and they started a night of passionate lovemaking.

The following morning, Vegeta woke up at 6 a.m., too anxious to get back to sleep. He stood up, put his spandex training gear on and went over to the GR to train, but as he soon discovered, even blasting robots couldn't get his mind off the upcoming conversation with his father. Luckily for him, the Supreme Kai entered the GR a mere two hours later.

"Good morning to you, Vegeta" the Supreme Kai said politely. "I've spoken to your father."

Vegeta's eyes shot up. He looked up at the Kai, anxiously awaiting his father's answer.

The Supreme Kai smiled. "He gave me a nod. So we'll be heading towards Other World anytime soon."

"What are we waiting for?" Vegeta asked the Kai.

"I'm waiting for the signal. Top security has to be arranged, and I'm waiting for the heads-up from one of the guards" the Kai answered.

"Hn, I can handle my own father. I had surpassed him when I was a child, so I don't think he will be much trouble now." Vegeta responded. He was getting slightly annoyed from all the waiting.

The Supreme Kai chose not to argue with him. He could see that Vegeta was in a bad mood, and he had learned from his mistakes; you do not want to aggravate an already angry Vegeta.

He remembered what had happened last time.

_"Meaningless huh? And what do you know about meaningless? Spend most of your life ruled by another - Watch your race dwindle to a handful... and then tell me what has more meaning than your own strength. I have in me the blood of a Saiyan Prince. He is nothing but a joke! Yet, I've had to watch him surpass me in strength... my destiny thrown to the wayside! He's even saved my life as if I were a helpless child. He has stolen my honor. And his debts... must be... paid!"_

The Supreme Kai shuddered. Yes, he remembered what had happened when he told Vegeta that there were more important things than his "meaningless squabble". He had exploded on him. The Kai knew from experience that Vegeta's father was just as bad as him. He had dealt with him a few times before, and even though the king has always controlled his explosive temper around him, there had been a huge verbal fight between Frieza and King Vegeta.

Hell was split in half, in those who supported Frieza, and those who supported the Saiyan King. There had been a riot, and it had taken more than a thousand warriors from Heaven to control the situation. He would not soon forget what a chaos that day had been, and since then, he had always made sure that under no circumstance, Frieza and King Vegeta were to be put within ten miles of each other. He sighed. That was also the reason for the high security, and his doubts about them meeting. If King Vegeta crossed his son, there could be no telling what he would do.

The security was not to ensure that King Vegeta would not break loose from the afterlife, but to prevent Vegeta from inflicting harm upon his father. But try explaining that to either of them.

"Vegeta?" "What?" Vegeta snapped back.

"I think there's someone banging at the door" the Supreme Kai said, pointing at the door of the Gravity Room. Vegeta walked over to the control panel, turned off the gravity and walked over to the door to open it. He opened the door, and saw his 5 year-old daughter standing there. "Daddy." she said and she held out her arms to him, as if she wanted him to pick her up.

He sighed and took her into his arms. "What do you want, Bra?" He asked her.

"Daddy, will you give grandpa a hug from me?" she asked him with pleading eyes. Vegeta was dumbstruck. He couldn't refuse anything his daughter asked him, but hugging his father and telling her it was from his little girl? No way. "I will tell him you send your regards." he answered her. She nodded. "OK, daddy. Mommy's making breakfast, do you want something?"

"Well, actually Bra, I think it might be time for us to go" the Supreme Kai interfered. Both Bra and Vegeta turned to the Kai with surprised looks on their face. Vegeta simply nodded and put Bra on the floor. "Go play, Bra." He told her and Bra ran off.

"Would you like to say goodbye to your family?" the Kai asked him.

"No" Vegeta simply responded. "How long will I be gone?"

"You have one Earth-day to be with your father. You may leave whenever you please" the Kai answered.

They stepped out of the Gravity room, as they both saw Trunks and Bulma approaching them. Trunks simply stood watching them, but Bulma walked over to the Supreme Kai.

"Take these" she whispered as she gave him some pictures. "Don't tell Vegeta you have them, but if his father asks for pictures, just give him these."

"Oh...I understand" The Supreme Kai smiled and walked over to Vegeta. "Ready to go?" He asked him.

Vegeta simply grunted, and the Kai took that as a yes. He took Vegeta by the arm, and within the second, they were gone.

Vegeta looked up, only to see King Yemma's desk. He smirked. _We're here.. _The Supreme Kai turned to him , he was looking very serious.

"All right, Vegeta. There are a few rules you'll need to follow. One: under no circumstance must you use your energy against a being, be it live or dead. Two: If you wish to show your father how strong you've become, you will need to notify the guards before you power up. I cannot emphansize the word 'before' any more. And last but not least, you also have to notify the guards if you wish to leave the room. Do you understand this, Vegeta?"

"I am no fool, Supreme Kai. I understand perfectly. Now, I am getting impatient. Where is my father?"

The Supreme Kai pointed towards a small house behind King Yemma's desk. "Your father's in there. Your time starts the minute you walk through that door. Good luck." the Supreme Kai said as he dissapeared.

Vegeta walked towards the house that the Kai showed him. _This is it._ The house in question was very small, and made out of simple wood. Surrounding it were at least a dozen guards.

"Prince Vegeta, you are here to speak to your father correct?" One of them asked. Vegeta nodded. "You have 24 Earth-hours."

Vegeta opened the door, and there he was. His father. He was a spitting image of himself, only taller, with brownish red hair and a beard. He was sitting behind a table with cufs around his wrists, and the look in his eyes was one Vegeta had never seen in his father's eyes before. It was the look of fear. He was still wearing his royal uniform in which he had fought Frieza. It was a black spandex suit, with a red and white armor over it. On the left side of the chest was the royal crest of planet Vegeta, and the pendant, the sign of Kingship, was also still around his neck. Suddenly he looked up from the table and right into his son's eyes.

King Vegeta swallowed hard, and stood up. For a long time, they just stared at each other. Until the King finally spoke: "I take it you have some questions..."

_A/N: Please, please review! _


	3. If you wish, I shall tell you

_A/N: In preparation for this chapter I have watched every episode that has King Vegeta in it. ('Secrets revealed', 'The End of Vegeta', 'Z Warriors Prepare' and of course, 'Fighting Power One Million!' that has 6 minutes of the King). I have based their interactions on what I've seen in these episodes. But this is MY interpretation, so if you disagree, and have a good reason for doing so, feel free to tell me!_

_Well, that was it! Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own DragonballZ, their characters or the episodes I mentioned earlier. You are of course free to sue me if you feel like it, but not because I claimed that the characters are mine. Because I didn't. So there.**

"Gosh, I wonder how Vegeta's doing" Bulma said to Trunks. Trunks thought for a moment. "He's either doing incredibly well, or they're at each other throats as we speak."

Bulma smiled. She knew how difficult this must be for her mate. No one in the universe knows him better than she does, and she knew how important his father's approval would be to him.

He would never admit it to anyone, but his father was the reason he trained so hard. It was all about tying to please him.. As time progressed, he started training because he wanted to become stronger than Goku. He wanted to be the best. Second place just simply wouldn't do, and why? Because of his father.

Because his father told him that he came from a strong bloodline, and that he had the ability to become a Super-Saiyan. He didn't want to be second best to Goku because of his ego, and King Vegeta was what inflated it so much. He knew his son could do it, and because of that, Vegeta did everything to please his father.

Bulma sighed_. But if he thought so highly of his son, why did he give him up to Frieza?_ Bulma thought. _Who would do that to his own son? _She looked at Trunks who was eating his breakfast at the dinner table. _No_. She thought. _I would rather die than give him up, not just to Frieza, but to anyone. No one can have my little boy. Vegeta even died trying to protect his son, so why couldn't his father do the same for him?_

"Mommy?" Bra said as she was trying to climb on Bulma's lap. Bulma smiled and picked her daughter up. "Yes, sweetie?" She asked her daughter.

"Daddy said he'd hug grandpa for me." She said proudly. Bulma smiled. _Yeah right._ "Aw, that's nice honey. I'm sure grandpa will be really happy." Bra just kept smiling, but now with a small hint of her father's trademark smirk. Bulma looked at her daughter, and was immediately reminded of Vegeta. _I wonder what they're talking about._

* * *

Vegeta had been waiting for this moment for a very long time, but now that it was finally time, he froze up. He just stood there, looking at his father. He made sure he kept his face as emotionless as possible. He did not want his father to think he was weak, or that he had forgotten everything his father had taught him.

_A young prince Vegeta stood in the throne room, accompanied by his father, who spoke: "You do not show your emotions to anyone. You can never let your enemy know what you're thinking. Block out useless emotions. Do not fear. And even if you are afraid, which you should never be, don't show it. You are the prince of the most powerful race in the universe. You never show your emotions. That kind of behaviour is unsuitable for a warrior of your stature."_

_I have not forgotten what you have said, father. See? No one knows what I'm thinking now. Not even you, father._

King Vegeta looked at his son. He had changed since he last saw him. He looked into his son's eyes, and saw that they were empty: he was hiding his feelings. King Vegeta couldn't stop the corner of his mouth going up a bit. It was barely noticeable, but it was an unmistakable smirk. King Vegeta had always been one to hide his feelings and control his emotions, but he found himself staring at his son.

He had changed so much, it was unbelievable. He could barely grasp the notion that that was his son standing there. His hair stood up in the traditional royal family way, his face had the widow's pea., Appearance wise, he was everything he would expect from the prince of all Saiyans. A bit short though.

"My daughter sends her regards" he suddenly heard his son say. It was the first time he heard him speak, his voice was as raspy as his, only a bit higher.

"Your daughter? You have a child?" King Vegeta asked his son with raised eyebrows. He was surprised, he didn't think there were any female Saiyans left to have children with.

"Yes I do, what's it to you?" Vegeta responded quickly. He wanted to let his father know that he would not tolerate any insults towards his family.

His father was just looking at him with a slightly amused look on his face. "Sit down, boy." He said while pointing at a chair.

"Hn" Vegeta said, but he still sat down opposite his father. He was much shorter than him. He crossed his arms. "So father, tell me... are you enjoying Hell?"

King Vegeta frowned. "You may be an adult now, Vegeta, but I am still your father, and I will not have you treating me with such blatant disrespect." The king said firmly.

"I'm treating you with all the respect you deserve. None." King Vegeta flinched at his son's harsh words. He had expected his son to be angry with him, but not to this extent.

Vegeta calmed himself down. "How's mother?" He asked with his expression unreadable as always. King Vegeta recovered quickly. He chuckled. "Still dead." Vegeta frowned. "Is she in Hell with you?" He asked. The king shook his head. "No. I do not know where she is." He anwered hesitantly.

"How... how is your training progressing?" the King asked his son. Vegeta smirked. _Finally. I can show him what I've become._

"I have ascended to Super-Saiyan level and beyond. I have reclaimed my place as the strongest warrior in the Universe. I have more than enough strength to defeat those who dare to claim that they are stronger. I am undefeatable, the only one who has a small chance of beating me, will not kill me. I am a Super-Saiyan, just like you said I would be." He finished proudly. He looked at his father, and saw that his eyes were as wide as they could be. "Super... a Super-Saiyan?" King Vegeta stammered. Vegeta smirked. He knew this would impress his father. "Super Saiyan level 2, father."

King Vegeta looked at his son, but this time, with real respect. His eyes were no longer cold, but showed how proud he was of his son's achievements. Only one sentence was bugging him.

"Who is it that has a chance of beating you?" King Vegeta asked. Vegeta frowned again. "A Saiyan by the name of Kakarrot." He answered.

"I see"

Vegeta jumped off the chair in fury. "And what is that supposed to mean!"

King Vegeta crossed his arms and looked sternly at his son. "You have to learn to control that temper of yours, boy. Not everything I say is meant to inflict harm." He responded calmly.

Vegeta sat down again. _I must not let this shake my composure_. "If you wish, I shall tell you what I have been doing these past few years, but for your information... just know that I will not tolerate any insults from you. You were either too weak or too much of a failure at being a father to keep me with you, so you have no right to criticize me. Is that understood?"

King Vegeta sat up and looked at his son with interest. "I understand"


	4. I did not abandon you

_A/N: Thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed! You're the reason I updated as fast as possible, so hope you enjoy this chapter. Ok, so a couple of speeches, and perhaps slight OOC. I did my best. Well, enjoy! _

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

* * *

Vegeta, once again, found himself staring at his father. He hadn't seen him in such a long time, and looking at him brought back many memories. His father was much calmer than he was. Vegeta knew that keeping his temper in front of his father was very important, but he couldn't help but being angry at him. He knew his father was doing his best to stay calm for him, and the fact that he was interested in his past was something he had been hoping for, but the tone of his voice when he made the remark about his daughter aggravated him.

His father's eyes were once again cold and free of emotion, but he was staring into those eyes intensely, and finally he found what he was looking for: curiosity. He decided to start talking.

"After you abandoned me on Frieza's ship-" "I did NOT abandon you" King Vegeta interrupted. "Do not interrupt me, old man." Vegeta said to his father. King Vegeta stood up, his face filled with fury.

"Vegeta!" He yelled as he slammed his fist onto the table. "Who the hell do you think you are? You ask me to come here and speak to you, and yet you still act as if I'm below the sole of your boot! I am your father, but you're speaking to me as if you're a little child who was never heard of the words 'honor' and 'respect. You keep saying you're an adult, but I don't see that in the way you present yourself! If you want me to treat you like an equal, which you are in age, you will have to stop playing your foolish games. Start adressing me as a proper Saiyan, and present yourself as royalty. I don't see the prince of all Saiyans in you, so start acting like it!"

Vegeta was in shock at his father's words. _What? Childish?_

Vegeta also stood up and looked at his father. "I am presenting myself in the most honorable way a prince possibly could. If you're too weak to deal with what has occured between us, you have no place to be here. I simply asked for a meeting with you, because I wanted to prove to you that I did it. I wanted to show you how powerful I became. For the first seven years of my life I have done nothing but train so I could get a kind word from you, and you know why I'm here, father? Because I want to prove to you, that you are nothing. I have pushed myself to my very limit and beyond, and I did it without you. I don't need you. I never did. This meeting was just to prove something that I have known for a very long time. I will speak to you in any way I wish. You have no right to put me in my place, for my place is far above you. I had surpassed you as a child, and if you can't deal with the facts, leave."

Unlike his father, Vegeta spoke those words very calmly. His arms were crossed as he sat back down in his chair. He leaned back and inside he beamed with pride at how his voice didn't even tremble when he unleashed his frustration. He looked at his father, waiting to see what his reaction would be. He knew he had gone too far, it was obvious from the King's expression.

He looked broken. He was still hiding his emotions as best as he could, but Vegeta could see that his words had affected his father much more than he let on. Finally, the king spoke.

"Then so be it" And he walked off towards the door.

* * *

"Mommy, mommy look! I made the cloud stay up there all by itself" Bra was extremely excited as she pointed at a small magnet in the shape of a cloud. She had been playing with it for a long time, and now she finally realised that she could stick it to the refrigerator. Bulma smiled. "Yes sweetie, that's very smart of you."

Trunks walked over to Bulma. "Mom?" he whispered so Bra couldn't hear him. "Do you think dad's going to do something stupid?" Bulma sighed. "I don't know, sweetie. It depends, knowing your father, he'll probably say some things that he didn't mean so he can save his pride. We're used to it, but you never know how his father could react. If he says something hurtfull and his father won't take it well, things will get really ugly. I just pray he won't say anything stupid" She responded. _Vegeta, please don't ruin this._

* * *

King Vegeta stood up and was walking towards the door. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _So that was it. My son didn't become half the man I hoped he'd be. What kind of a fool have I been, thinking he wanted to see me because my opinion might mean something to him. What kind of an idiot am I? And what kind of an idiot was he? I am his father, and he expects me to sit around patiently, acting as his lapdog. I do not have to take this shit from anyone._

He put his fingers around the doorknob, when he suddenly heard "stop." He turned around, to see his son holding his tail in his hand. "You will not leave this building" prince Vegeta said.

"Oh, really?" The King said turned around to face his only son. "And what is it that would keep me here? You have made it very obvious that you do not wish to speak to me."

"You will stay because I ask you to. Don't get me wrong, Vegeta. I do not want you to stay because you're my father. You will listen to every word I have to say to you. You will find out why I am angry with you. I will tell you about what had happened at Frieza's ship. And I will tell you how I achieved the impossibe, how I became a Super-Saiyan. You will do all of this, because you were not there to witness these events, simply because you were weak. I am your son, and you left me to rot on Frieza's ship. So surely, listening to what I have to say to you wouldn't be so difficult, now would it?" He finished.

King Vegeta thought this over for a moment. "Show me." He said to his son.

"Show you what?" Vegeta asked surprised.

"You claim to be the Legendary Super-Saiyan. Show me. If you're truly as great as you say you are, I will listen to every word you say, and I will not contradict you in anything." The king answered. All the anger and dissapoint was gone from his voice. He was now, once again, emotionless.

Vegeta smirked. _So father wants to witness my true strength? _

"Very well" Vegeta said. "Follow me." The two Vegeta's walked out the door, and Vegeta walked over to one of the guards. "I wish to power up and unleash my true strength." he said to one of the guards.

He remembered that he had to notify the guards before he powered up. The guards nodded, and they all took a step back.

"Stand back and enjoy the ride, father." with arrogance directed at his father. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh" Vegeta was powering up. His aura changed from blue to yellow as his hair was slowly beginning to change color. His black, onyx eyes were turning teal as he powered up for the last time. And a mere second later, he was done. Vegeta stood proudly. Super Saiyan level two. King Vegeta gawked at his son.

"So, father. Would you like a scouter and count the seconds until it breaks?" Vegeta smirked when he saw the expression on his fathers face. King Vegeta recovered quickly, but even he couldn't hide the admiration that was so evident in his eyes.

"Now, let's continue, shall we?" Vegeta said as he stepped back in to the house, followed by King Vegeta.

"Let's see, where was I? Oh, yes. After you abandoned me on Frieza's ship, I was locked up in a room. Zarbon came to my chambers shortly after I was locked up there to inform me that I were to start purging planets soon, and that Frieza wished to see me so he could start my training. Ah, yes. Frieza's so called 'training'. Do you know what it feels like to be completely humiliated, to be stripped off your honor, and to have some sadistic, disgusting and hidiously ugly creature torture you, father" He finished questiongly.

"Yes, my son. I do" King Vegeta answered.


	5. Vegeta, I have something for you

_A/N: Thank you to ALL the lovely reviewers who took the time let me know what they thought! I have absolutely 0 proof for some of the claims I make in this chapter. Feel free to let me know if you find them unrealistic and/or simply WRONG. Enjoy this chap and keep on reviewing!_

* * *

"You fool. You think you know how I feel? No one could possibly know the humiliation I felt when you gave me away. I am the prince of all Saiyans, and yet I was treated like I was nothing. I have royal blood flowing through my veins, and I was forced to call him 'sire' and 'Lord Frieza'. I was a prince, and he was nothing. Where do you get the arrogance to tell me you know how I feel?"

* * *

"So, you gave that Vegeta his reward?" The elder Supreme Kai asked the younger. "Yes, I did. He is talking to his father in that little house behind King Yemma's desk, as we speak." The current Supreme Kai answered.

"Hmm, I'm not so sure what to think about that Vegeta." The older Kai responded. "Huh? And why is that, sir?" the Supreme Kai asked surprised.

"I was supposed to get a nude picture of his wife, but he stopped it, even though that other Saiyan Goku promised to give me one." The younger Supreme Kai decided to ignore that comment.

"Hey, son. What's that in your pocket?" The elder Kai suddenly asked. "Oh, darn it. I forgot to give Vegeta his pictures" the Supreme Kai said. "I gotta go back and give them to him." The elder Kai nodded. "Well, guess I'll better get going." and he ran off.

* * *

For a long time, King Vegeta just stared at his feet. He was breathing heavily, and unsure of what to tell his son. He was struggling to form words that would not betray his emotions and let him keep his honor.

"When I was five years old, my father made a deal with the Kold Empire. It was a contract signed in blood, saying that fot the next fifty years, our mighty Saiyan race would be working for the Kold empire. But King Kold wasn't satisfied with a simple contract, he wanted proof of the Kings loyalty to him. He told my father that he wanted something that would assure him that my father would not back out of the contract. And my father gave him something: me. Kold took me with him, and I spent the next twenty years as a warrior on his ship."

Vegeta took some time to let this information sink in. His father seemed completely normal. _Why doesn't this affect him? _Vegeta thought angrily. _Why can't I even think about Frieza without wanting to kill that bastard, but can my father just sit there. _"Oh, yes. How sad, father. So you lived your nice life as a perfect warrior, it must have been great for you: living on a ship with all training facilities." Vegeta said sarcastically.

King Vegeta seemed lost in his thoughts. He looked like he was in a world of his own. He barely acknowledged his son's words. His eyes were completely blank and he sat on his chair, just staring ahead for a very long time. When he spoke, it was in a slightly rushed tone.

"I had the perfect warrior life until Kold found a way to keep any information about me getting to my father. When my father handed me over, he 'forgot' to mention any conditions. Kold took me as his personal slave. No matter what you might have heard, Kold is no better than his son; they're both hideous, disgusting creatures." King Vegeta took a long breath before he spoke again. The look in his eyes changed to disgust, he was obivously displeased about something. "I spent my entire childhood at King Kold's base, I was returned to our planet at the age of 17, when it was time for me to start training so one day, I could get the throne." He frowned. "I did not have a 'nice life as a perfect warrior'. It was not better than yours. My so called 'arrogance' is nothing but pride. Pride in the fact that I survived those 12 years, and pride at knowing that I lived, and that I was the strongest at his base."

He regained his posture, and King Vegeta was soon getting back to his old self, his previous discomfort gone. "The strong survive and the weak perish. Those who are not worthy enough to live, die. Only those who posess strength and have the potential of becoming great fighters deserve to live, the strong survive. I learned that on Kold's army base, and in this universe, nothing matters more than survival. That's why I trained, and that's why I encouraged you to do so."

Vegeta frowned. "I see." He responded to his father's short speech. "Tell me, father. To you, was the destruction of our race justified, or do you still sit in Hell and think: 'what did I do for our planet to be blown up?'

Vegeta was openly mocking his father, and King Vegeta was not pleased with his son's attitude. "You know very well why our planet was destroyed. It always happens when races lose their honour. We lost ours when we started helping the Kold empire with purging planets." King Vegeta said."You know just as well as I do, that in the entire Universe there are few feelings better than having some pathetic low-level creature begging at your feet" Vegeta smirked at his fathers words. "Those weaklings didn't deserve anything other than death." He replied.

King Vegeta chuckled. "That may be true, but a defeat is always more honororable when your oponnent provided you with a challenge. Destroying a civillisation is... enjoyable at times, but nothing will give you satisfaction like a real battle does. Over the years, our race seems to have forgotten that particular fact. We had forgotten what a real battle feels like. We lost our honour when we started destroying planets for work, rather than our enjoyment and the desire to gain strength, and for that we paid the ultimate price. I have no regrets, but you and I both know why we were destroyed. We were the most powerful race in the Universe, and we should have used our strength to rule it, rather than destroy it." King Vegeta finished.

Vegeta was in a state of shock. "What are you saying? You... you're joking" He stated lamely. King Vegeta shrugged. "Say what you want, boy. I'm sure Frieza brainwashed you enough to believe that destroying races that were below the dirt on your boot was honorable, I sure thought that when I was alive, but thinking back... We should have conquered those planets differently. Make no mistake, we should have ruled them, we should have expanded the Saiyan empire and claimed our position as the mightiest race in every Galaxy. Working as slaves for Frieza was not how I would have wanted my race to end up."

"Frieza brainwashed me? It was you who did it! You were the one that told me that anyone that was weaker than the Saiyans deserved to die, you started it. Frieza just finished it." Vegeta's anger at his father had returned. He had trouble processing his father's opinion on their race. Nappa had always told him the Saiyans were the most honorable race in existence, but apparently his father thought differently.

King Vegeta crossed his hands over his chest and frowned at his son. "You really ought to control your temper around me, boy. I did no such thing. I simply taught what every warrior had to know. I never trained you to become a warrior that wiped out powerless races, I had bigger expectations for you. I taught you the Legend of the Super-Saiyan, because I was certain that you would be able to achieve it. I knew you had the potential to become a great warrior, that you would be powerful enough to one day even overthrow Frieza." Vegeta smirked in pride. "I am a Super-Saiyan, and I am a great warrior." He told his father proudly.

"Yes, but I was wrong in one thing, you weren't strong enough to beat Frieza. Some purple-haired kid did it." King Vegeta responded. Vegeta stood up and looked at his father. "That purple haired kid is my son." He told his father. "Your... your son?" King Vegeta stammered. "Yes, my son. He came from twenty years in the future and defeated Frieza within a minute. He is also a Super-Saiyan" Vegeta responded.

King Vegeta opened his mouth to say something, but he was interupted by someone knocking. The Supreme Kai opened the door. "Vegeta... I have something for you"


	6. Show her to me

_A/N: Thanks again everyone who reviewed, I love you guys. Once again, a lot of the things mentioned in this chapter are figments of my imagination. This was probably the hardest chapter for me to write so please let me know if something displeases you._

* * *

The Supreme Kai walked in to the small wooden house. He silently made his way over to the two men sitting by the table, and bent over so he could whisper something to Vegeta.

"Bulma asked me to give you this, she said you might need it". Vegeta took the photographs out of the Kai's hand and nodded.

The Supreme Kai bowed his head to the two Saiyans. "Good day to you all, forgive me for the intrusion." and he disappeared again.

"Vegeta... where did your son get purple hair?" King Vegeta asked his son. Vegeta couldn't help but chuckle at his father's shocked tone of voice. "Who is his mother? You have a mate? I demand to know who she is." Vegeta's face fell. His fathers reaction was exactly as he expected. _Shit_. Vegeta thought. _What will he say when I tell him she's an Earthling? _He looked at the pictures he now held in his hand. He chose not to speak until his father would settle down.

"I was under the impression that there were no female Saiyans left" King Vegeta was frowning at his son. _Surely he wouldn't have mated anyone other than a Saiyan? _

"There aren't." Vegeta replied stoically. "Only four survived the destruction of our planet. Me, Nappa, Raditz and Kakarrot. I survived because I was on Frieza's ship and Nappa because you sent him to protect me. No females, father"

"I see. And how sure are you that there are no females alive? I didn't order Raditz or Kakarrot to be hidden safely. How did they survive the explosion?"

Vegeta swallowed hard. His father intriguing stare was making him nervous.

"Kakarrot was on the planet Earth when the planet was destroyed, and Raditz was regaining his strength in an alien medical ward. Nappa and I have searched the entire Universe, there are no Saiyans left now but me and Kakarrot."

"And your half-breed brat" King Vegeta finished the sentence.

Vegeta frowned at his father. "I will not have you speak of my son in that manner, old man. He is a far more respectable warrior than you've ever been." "Is that so, boy? He's not even a full blooded Saiyan, he does not know anything about our race or culture, and you claim he's fit to be the prince of all Saiyans?" King Vegeta replied mockingly. "Oh, yes, father. My son had surpassed you when he was a child. He achieved the level of Super-Saiyan when he was eight years old. You could only dream of achieving that kind of power. How pathetic it must be for you, to be so defeated by your son's half-breed brat." Vegeta was smirking at his father's apparent uncomfortableness.

King Vegeta was seething with rage. His fists were bolded and the look on his face was nothing short of pure hatred. "Why, you insolent brat! You betrayed your race by mating some disgusting, low-life alien, and now you dare to mock me!"

"Betray? You fool. I saved our race. Had it not been for me, the Saiyan race would have been extinguished. I was the last true Saiyan, Kakarrot is a fool who didn't even know his heritage until Raditz told him. I am the reason the Saiyan race is still the mightiest in the Universe, I ensured that we would not die out, and if it had to be done by mating a non-saiyan woman, so be it. I feel no shame. My so called 'disgusting, alien low-life mate' has produced an heir stronger than you could ever dream of, father. You have no right to lecture me."

King Vegeta was silent for a very long time. He simply was at lost for words. _The prince of all Saiyans, and an alien? What the hell is he thinking?_ "Show her to me" the King suddenly said. Vegeta looked up surprised. "What?"

"Show me your mate. Let me see what kind of woman controls the prince of all Saiyans" the King said. Vegeta couldn't help but notice he had an amused look on his face. "She does not control me, father." He replied insulted. "No woman controls me. I am the prince of all Saiyans" "Oh, really? Then how would you explain the fact that you rushed to her defense the moment I spoke ill of her?"

Vegeta bit his lip. Suddenly he became very interested in his knees. The king smirked. "You fool. Betrayed your own pathetic feelings. Show me. I'm curious as to what you would consider a suitable queen."

Vegeta regained his posture. "That I consider Bulma a suitable queen does not necessarily mean that I am being controlled by her. I have not given you any reason to suspect that I have feelings for her. You are making foolish assumptions, father." The king continued to smirk, and he still had that amused expression on his face. "You think I'm a fool, don't you boy?" The King asked his son.

Vegeta stared blankly at his father. "Do you really want me to answer that question?" He responded. The king chuckled. "Vegeta, I have had too much experience on hiding my emotions to not recognize a master at this." Vegeta looked at the king with a strange, faraway look on his face. "Why thank you, father" he said sarcastically."But you are mistaken, there are no emotions for me too hide"

The king's expression suddenly hardened."Enough talking now, boy. Show me the pictures"

* * *

Bulma was busy working in the lab, when she heard a familiar voice next to her. "Good day to you, Bulma" the Supreme Kai said softly.

Bulma jumped up. "Oh, hi Supreme Kai! How's Vegeta doing?" She asked him curiously. "Well, things were a little tense between him and his father when I came in to check on them, but on the whole... I'd say they're doing good. I would have expected them to jump at each other's throats, but they're doing better than I ever could have hoped." The Kai answered. "I gave Vegeta the pictures." He added quickly.

Bulma sighed relieved. "Boy, I'm glad it turned out right. I mean, who is Vegeta's father to judge him? It's bit too late for him to start complaining now, right?" The Supreme Kai smiled, unsure of what to say. "You may be right, but there's more going on between them than you and I could know. Let them speak to each other, they will find their way... I am sure of it." The Kai answered after a brief moment of silence. Bulma gave the Kai a smile. "Thanks, Supreme Kai!" The Kai smiled back at her. "Well, I must be going now... take care of yourself, Bulma!"

"Yeah, you too! Thanks for everything!" She said as the Supreme Kai disappeared.

* * *

King Vegeta was frowning at the picture he held in his hand. The picture showed a very attractive, slim, blue-eyed woman. She was smiling at the camera, and looked as if she owned the world. King Vegeta looked at his son's mate for a very long time. Minutes passed as he simply sat there with the picture in his hand. She was a very beautiful woman, but he couldn't quite see to which race she belonged, she did not have warrior features. _Could it be that she wasn't a fighter? No... surely he wouldn't_

"What's the problem, old man?" his son interrupted his chain of thought.

"What is she?" the King asked in a polite tone. "An Earthling, from the planet Earth" Vegeta replied. "Earth?"

"It's a small planet in the northern quadrant of the Universe, somewhere near the vicinity of Betelgeuse." Vegeta replied lazily.

King Vegeta bowed his head to look at the woman in the photograph again. "Are blue and purple common colors on that planet?" He asked unsure of his son's reaction. To his surprise, Vegeta started laughing. "Father, surely you have something better to do than question me about my family's hair color?" Vegeta told his father mockingly.

King Vegeta sighed. "Fine, then I shall question you about something else: why does she look so weak?"

"And what do you mean by that?" Vegeta responded threateningly.

"Let me rephrase: she is not a warrior. Why did you decide to save the Saiyan race with someone that doesn't fight?" Vegeta bit his lip. _Blast him! _He thought. _Why does he have to be so damn observant._

"I have seen that Saiyan blood combined with human makes strong warriors, Kakarrot's son was part Saiyan and part human, and his human cells did not weaken him. I decided that it would be a worthy choice."

"Kakarrot had a son? Then surely it wasn't necessary for you to produce another half-blood?" King Vegeta asked with raised eyebrows. _He's lying. _He kept thinking. _His stay on that idiot planet has weakened him, what is going on between him and that damn Earthling woman?_

His father's constant inquiries into his personal life had made Vegeta's temper officially leave the building. "Fine!" He yelled out in his anger "What do you want from me, father?"

"Explain why you mated a WEAK woman" The King yelled back

"Because I felt like it! If you wouldn't have caused the planet to blow up, we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"That's all I wanted to hear" the King responded calmly. Vegeta's mouth dropped open. "What... what are you saying?"

The King folded his arms and frowned at his son. "There's no need to lie to me, boy. You have pointed out, more than once, that I have no right to judge you. If you wanted to mate an Earthling and save our race, then so be it... but you will not lie to me. You fool. Pathetic."

Vegeta was still staring at his father. The King deepened his frown. "I do not approve of you mating a weak woman, but if you find her worthy, I will trust your judgement."

"She is worthy" Vegeta said quietly. King Vegeta was amused by his son's strange behavior, and couldn't help but smirk again. "What the hell is wrong with you! Why are you laughing?"

"Keep your temper. You seem to be very, ah... how shall I put it... touchy around this subject." Vegeta snorted. "Hn, and you aren't?" He said sarcastically.

King Vegeta's expression hardened. "What went on between me and your mother is none of your business, you insolent brat" he spat out. Vegeta smirked in the kind of way that insinuated he was about to insult someone. "No, of course. I wouldn't want to speak of my mate if I was to blame for her death."

"Silence!" The King yelled. "I will not have you speak in that manner to me. You know very well that your mother's death is not a subject I wish to speak off"

"You were a weakling in life father, don't be one in death." Vegeta replied in a very controlled voice. "What was it between you and mother? Was it arranged? Did you care for her? Or did you dispose of her the moment she gave birth?"

"She was nothing to me." the king answered.

"Liar." Vegeta spat out.

After a moment of silence, the king finally spoke.

"She was a very strong woman. The strongest female on the planet. It is only naturally for the king to mate the strongest female elite-warrior." The king swallowed hard. "I may have... grown fond of her. But not to an extent of it becoming foolish."

"Frieza killed her" Vegeta said.

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"It's a statement. How could you have let that happen to your own mate?"

"Enough" The king said. "Tell me... tell me about your daughter, you told me she sends her regards. Do you have a picture of her as well?" He asked.

Vegeta frowned at his father's determination to change the subject, but he chose not to speak. _I will question him about that later. _"I do. My daughter is five years old, so there is not much to tell you about her. Do you have any more questions concerning my son?" "Can you show him to me also?" The father asked in reply. Vegeta handed over the pictures of his children. The king looked at his grandson. "What is his name?" He asked while studying the picture.

"Trunks" Vegeta replied.

"Trunks? What kind of name is that?"

"One with two meanings, if your recall father, it means "protector" in our native language"

"And what is the other meaning?" The king asked curiously. Vegeta thought how to bring it as best as possible. "It is a form of undergarment worn by humans." King Vegeta gave his son a blank look. "Genius" he muttered silently.

He examined the picture more securely. Trunks was smirking in the camera, and despite the lavender hair and blue eyes, he looked like a Saiyan. While the colouring was all wrong, his royal features were easy to spot. King Vegeta put the photograph on the table, and looked at the one with his granddaughter in it. "Name?" He asked, silently praying for a normal one.

"Bura" his son answered.

"Bura" the King repeated. "She looks like her mother" he added.

Vegeta smirked. "Is there anyone else she reminds you of?"

King Vegeta stared accusingly at his son. "You know very well who she reminds me of." The king replied. "And you know better than to continue this line of questioning. Does she display any fighting skills?"

"She can fly and use her energy, but apart from that, no" Vegeta answered, growing tired of the interregation. "Anything else you want to know?" Vegeta asked impatiently.

"No. That will be all concerning your family"

_A/N:If there is anything you want them to talk about, feel free to tell me: PM or review will do!_

_Till next time!_


	7. An Apology

_A/N: This chapter is much darker, and a bit more depressing than the other ones. Part of me getting through some stuff was me writing this chapter. I might rewrite this at one point, who knows… I'm not sure what I think of it myself! But it's here, and if you all hate it, I will be more than happy to change it for you, just let me know!_

**Disclaimer: Whatever. No.**

* * *

King Vegeta was no fool. He had destroyed planets, annihilated races and caused destruction. Even as a little boy on Kold's ship, warriors feared him. Word around King Kold's base got around fast, and everyone knew about the young Saiyan prince that was put on the ship to serve the Empire. Only one being was unimpressed by the young King's strength, and that was his father. King Vegeta Sr. expected his son to be the Legendary, to be the strongest Saiyan ever. Everyone on the planet thought the young prince to be the next Super Saiyan...all but his father. The former king was more evil and more ruthless than his son would ever become. From the moment his son was born, he thought him weak. Weak, pathetic, and unworthy. His mother had died while giving birth, so there was no hope for another heir. All the king could do was find a way to toughen him up, and all he needed was the right opportunity. And the perfect opportunity presented itself when king Kold wanted proof of the king's loyalty. It was a win-win situation: King Kold got a young, new warrior, and the Saiyan King found a way to toughen up his son. The Emperor had a string of tests planned for his new acquisition, tests that included torture and other things that were so gruesome that no one could even begin to guess. Many people wondered how a soft-hearted boy could have turned into such a monster. And here he was, more than 50 years later, and he was asking his son about his grandchildren.

"What about your family father? You never told me anything about them." King Vegeta swallowed hard. "There is nothing to tell."

"Why not? Surely...I told you everything, is it so difficult for you to tell me something about yours? Or did you expect me to sit around and only respond to your questions? I demand answers, father!"

Silence filled the air once again as the two Saiyans glared at each other. The tension between them had reached a new height and neither of the two men was about to give in. The King looked at his son, and for some reason couldn't help but to feel slightly disappointed. Even though he had done nothing to prevent it, he had silently hoped that his son would not turn out the way he did. King Vegeta did not send his son to Frieza to toughen him up, and neither did he want his son to became the heartless monster that King Kold had made him, but looking at the facts it was inevitable, his son had become a cold blooded killer, just like he was. To be honest, he did not have much choice. The universe is not a pretty place to live in. There's no "love conquers all" attitude, if you're strong you survive, and if you're not, well...enjoy Hell.

The King sighed. "Fine, brat. You drive me insane with your spoiled antics." Vegeta smirked. "What happened to your mother? Why have I never heard anything about her?"

"My mother died while giving birth. I cannot give you any information concerning her life, I never met her."

"And your father?" Vegeta continued. "Or do you know nothing of him as well?" King Vegeta's face hardened. "I do not wish to speak of him. His mere memory makes me sick."

"Is that so? And why is that, father?" His son's hateful tone was driving him insane. Not a single nice word had come from him in the hours that they were speaking to each other, and contrary to what many thought, he did not handle demeaning answers well.

"Mind that tone, you fool. Have I not taught you how to contain yourself? Or do you want the whole universe to know your feelings?"

"Answer me!" Vegeta suddenly yelled out. "Enough! I spent most of my life waiting for the day I could speak to you! There are questions I want answered, I'm sick of waiting. I idolized you! I wanted to be just like you, but in the end, you're a joke. You're nothing. You're a weakling, too weak to protect your only son from Frieza, too weak to protect your mate, and too weak to act like a man and answer the son you failed. Because of your failure and your weakness, I grew up with nothing but a legacy. A prince of a dead race, all because of you! You're a failure. Nothing but a weak and pathetic fool. Fuck you, father. I've wasted enough of my time"

And with those last words, Vegeta stood up from his chair and walked towards the door.

* * *

Bulma was singing along to the radio when Trunks walked in to her lab.

"Geez, mom. I can't believe you still listen to that. That's so old." Trunks said to his mother. "I love him. And true love lasts a lifetime, maybe you'll find that out soon yourself" Bulma answered him with a slightly devilish smirk.

"Yeah well, don't count on grandkids anytime soon"

"Enough talking now, sweetie. Come help me with this"

* * *

"Vegeta...wait" King Vegeta grabbed his son's arm in a last attempt to stop him from leaving. "Let go of me." Vegeta yelled out as he jerked his arm away from the king.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"Nothing. Forget I said it."

Vegeta sighed. "What the hell is wrong with you, old man?" King Vegeta looked at his son curiously.

"What did you just say father?"

"I said nothing. A mere slip of the tongue." King Vegeta replied quickly.

"Don't give me that shit. What the hell is wrong with you?" Vegeta inquired.

"I don't want you to leave" the king responded softly.

"Then you will answer every question. I am not merciful father, you fuck up, and you won't hear a word from me ever again" Vegeta threatened.

Once again the room was filled with silence. Both father and son could sense the tension swallowing them. King Vegeta took a deep breath. Never in his life could he have imagined how incredibly difficult this would be. He knew his son would hardly have the temper of an angel, but he did not anticipate such an enormous clash of their personalities. With one troubled mind, you always need another one that is able of soothing. You can't put two stubborn, egocentric maniacs in one room; they would most likely end up killing each other. The king took another deep breath. The way he saw it now, he had two options. Either he could stand by his opinion and not give in to his son, or he could swallow his pride and tell the boy what he wants to know.

Either way didn't suit him, giving in meant letting go of his pride, and when you're like King Vegeta, pride is all you have. Pride is what gets you through torture, abuse and battle. If he let go of his pride now, it meant wasting years of careful preservation. It took the once mighty king years to build up what he had, and letting go of it now seemed foolish. But not giving in meant failing his son. Again. He had not been a good father, which he knew. His son was right: he had failed him. A Saiyan's father has two jobs: train, and protect. The king had trained his son well, but he had failed to protect him. By Saiyan customs, he could be perceived as a lousy father. But, like his son, the king refused to fail. He had to be the best in everything he did. Mediocrity is frowned upon, and a Saiyan king does not fail. Letting his son walk away meant failing him again, and the king wanted to avoid that at all cost.

"Fine boy, what is it that you want?"

"Tell me about my mother."

"You already know everything"

"Stop that." Vegeta suddenly said.

"Stop what?"

"You're messing with my mind."

"I am doing no such thing."

"You will not get out of this one, father."

"I am not trying" the king replied.

"Then speak."

"Your mother's name was Rosicheena, she was the strongest woman on the planet, and therefore fit to be queen. She gave birth to you, and died six years later. She did not have any other children, and spoiled you rotten. Every time I tried to learn you something, she'd cuddle you and completely wipe out the essential lessons I taught you that day. We fought often." The king said this all in a very fast pace, not wanting to give away too much information.

"What were your fights about?" Vegeta asked curiously, wanting to know if they were anything like the ones he had with Bulma.

"She was a very emotional woman, I was not. She also believed that strength was the most important thing in a Saiyans life, and that nothing is of more importance, but she also believed in...other things, some issues I was not familiar with, nor did I want to be."

Vegeta nodded, this all sounded very familiar to him.

"Why did Frieza kill her?" He suddenly asked. "She was getting in the way." the king replied. "She was a very stubborn woman, one that refused to bow to someone other than herself. Frieza couldn't handle the fact that someone would dare to ignore his direct orders. She was too headstrong"

"Unlike you" Vegeta spat out.

"Yes Vegeta, unlike me, as you pointed out several times." the king responded aggravated.

"Yes well, I'm granting you the pleasure of letting you know what I think of you"

The king swallowed hard. He wanted to reply to his son's insult, but was fighting with all his strength to keep himself from angering his son. Vegeta witnessed his father's apparent struggle, and decided to press a little further. "I suppose you never fought for her? You decided that Frieza could kill her, just as you let him take me away."

"I did not let Frieza take you that easily!" King Vegeta yelled at his son.

"Yes you did! You gave me away!" Vegeta shouted back.

The two men glared at each other, and King Vegeta sighed again. "Darn it. " the King said. "You're impossible."

"I'm impossible? You haven't given me one straight answer all day long, and now you're trying to talk yourself out of this too."

"If you sit down, keep your mouth shut, and listen to me without opening that obnoxious mouth of yours, I will tell you everything."

_A/N: And that's that. If you really hate it, tell me, and I'll rewrite it! If you don't, please tell me also!_


	8. Why didn't you fight for me?

_A/N: To all my lovely, amazing, incredible, best and most adored reviewers: THANK YOU! _

_Vegeta might be a little OOC (if not slightly annoying) in this chapter, so you are warned. What is also important, is that the conversations are dreadfully short. No matter how long I stare at it, I can't get Vegeta in proper character. Don't worry, they're not mush, and they don't fall into each others arms screaming and crying that they love each other. I haven't sunken that deep. Yet. But, he's not what you might be accustomed to. _

**Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Or it characters. Or it's storylines. Now stop rubbing this in my face.**

"Why did you give me away to Frieza, father? You knew what he would do, you were fully aware of the consequences, yet you showed no resistance. Were you that uncaring? Was my life that meaningless to you?" Vegeta found himself unable to stop talking as all his suppressed emotions started pouring out. He'd been holding back for years, and now his barrier broke.

King Vegeta looked at the man that was his son. He was a very strange person, one moment he was sitting calmly in a chair, and a second later he was yelling at him again. He himself was no different, but seeing it from a different point of view made him understand why the Queen always sighed and said that he was impossible to deal his son about Frieza was going to be the most difficult part of their knew that Vegeta wouldn't take it well. It was the one thing about the Kai's offer he was afraid off.

_The Saiyan King was surrounded by soldiers as another day in Hell passed by unnoticed._

_Since the public fight with Frieza, King Vegeta and all the other Saiyans were constantly being watched by the guards. Nothing interesting had happened in a very long time, and the fighters were waiting for another rush of excitement. One of Hell's guards approached the king. "King Vegeta, the Supreme Kai wishes to see you" he said to him. The king turned around and faced the guard. He studied his face, and decided that this wasn't a joke. "My Lord, what could this be about?" one of the soldiers asked the king. "I don't know, Zorn. Tell the others I shall return soon" the King said as he walked away with the guard._

_"Ah, king Vegeta. Sit down please" the Supreme Kai said as he showed the King to a chair. "What is this about?" The king asked brusquely as he sat down. "I have a proposition for you" the Kai replied. "It's about your son"_

_"My son?" the king responded curiously._

_"He wishes to see you"_

_"He's dead?" the King asked, disappointment apparent in his voice. "No, he's still alive. Due to certain circumstances, we wanted to give him an opportunity to fulfill one of his wishes. His request was to speak to you. We will transport him safely to Other World, and the two of you will be given a safe location to speak to one another. That is, if you agree of course."_

_The king crossed his arms and thought deeply. He wished to see me. That can only mean one thing: he wants to know about Frieza. Shit. "Do you know where he is?" the king asked the Kai. "Yes I do, but I cannot tell you his life's history, you can ask him everything you want during your conversation. I'm certain that there are some things he would prefer to tell you himself." The king frowned. So he's keeping it secret? What is this he's hiding from me? A family?_

_I have to know where he is. I have to know what happened. But…what could he want from me? I would have to tell him about my deal with Frieza. Fuck it._

_King Vegeta nods. "I'll do it"_

"Your life was not meaningless to me. I had no choice"

"I see. The old excuse again. Sacrifice your son in order to save your planet?"

"Not entirely. It was slightly more complicated." The King started looking at his feet again. He couldn't bear to look at his son.

"Start explaining." Vegeta said as he leaned back in his chair.

The king gathered his courage, and started speaking. "Frieza first approached me when you were six years old. I tried to keep your power hidden from his men, but he found out about your strength, and was deeply impressed."

Vegeta couldn't stop himself from smirking, nor from seeing a proud glint in his father's eyes. He shook it off. "How much did he pay you?" Vegeta asked angrily.

"What do you think of me? That I sold you?" The King yelled out, horrified.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Vegeta gave his father a cold, hard glare.

"You're insane."

"Frieza's doing"

"Damn it!" The king took a deep breath. "Why can't you just let me speak and safe your comments for when I'm finished. Hold your tongue, boy!"

Vegeta glared at his father, but said nothing.

"Good. May I continue?" the king asked sarcastically. "As you wish, father" Vegeta replied, making sure he put as much loathing as he could in to the last word.

"Frieza set up a meeting for the two of us, and told me that he wanted you to fight for him on his ship. I said no. What happened after that, I don't remember. What I do remember was waking up the next morning, and seeing your mother lying next to me. She was dead. I immediately went looking for Frieza to demand as he was the only one that could have killed her; no one else was strong enough.

I entered his chambers and saw Frieza sitting there, laughing with his two gormless henchmen: Zarbon, and that disgusting pink contraption Dodoria. They were laughing. I asked what the fuck was going on, Frieze chose to speak first. He said that the queen refused to co-operate, and that she was getting in the way, and if I didn't change my way of handling problems, the same thing would happen to you. He was to take you with him, or he would kill you. I had no choice. I was too weak to protect you, and there wasn't enough time to hide you somewhere else. I failed."

* * *

"Mom" Trunks said in a whiny voice. "When is dad coming home?"

"When he's done speaking to your grandfather, Trunks." Bulma replied.

"It's been hours. Why does he want to talk to him so badly anyway?"

Bulma frowned, and licked her lips. "That's something between them, hon. They've had their share of problems, and now they need to work them out."

"So it could take weeks before he's back?" Trunks asked disappointed.

"I don't know. To be honest, I don't think their ego's could take it, but yeah, in theory, the two of them could be arguing for days. But don't worry, Trunks. They're probably on a time-limit. Why do you want to see your father so bad, he's been gone for weeks several times, you never seemed to mind. What's up?"

Bulma looked at her son, her only son. It was strange how he looked so much like her, but still had his father's arrogant ways. He had his smirk, and obviously his power, but apart from that he looked exactly like Bulma. His arrogance, over-confidence and pride all came from Vegeta's side, but he had a kind of innocence to him that no Saiyan had. He inherited his mother's eyes, and those blue orbs always smiled, even when he threatened to beat you op. Vegeta often scowled at his son's coloring, the lavender hair was not something he was very happy with, but deep down Bulma knew that there was nothing he wouldn't do for his son. He already proved it once, and he'd do it again. She looked at Trunks again, and saw that he wasn't looking very happy.

"Nothing mom."

Something was troubling him.

* * *

Vegeta was shaking. He looked at his father with a furious look in his eyes. _He's lying. _He thought. _There's- no way. He's lying, he must be._

"You're lying." He said more to himself than his father. "I refuse to believe that he threatened to kill me. It was you, father. Frieza needed me; he could use a fighter like me. There's no way that he would have killed me, I was far too valuable. My power level was too high to be wasted, even Frieza would have seen that. You're not fooling me."

Another silence stretched on as the two men glared at each other. Then, the King let his head down. His cold, black eyes held a look of defeat. Suddenly he just looked tired. No one had ever seen the King give up on something, but this was expression was still unreadable, but his eyes were no longer stone cold. He took off his gloves and looked at his son again.

"You asked for the truth, I'm giving it. You came here knowing exactly what you wanted to hear. You simply wanted confirmation of the fact that I was a bastard, that I traded you for a couple of planets with Frieza, and that I sacrificed your chance of happiness for my own selfish needs. I'm sick of it. Sick of you, and everything else. I came here because I wanted you to know the truth. I didn't want you to think that I betrayed you, that I gave you to Frieza because I didn't want to train you anymore, and you refuse to listen. I have answered all your questions so far, I have done everything in my power to make you happy. I am finished here. Either you start accepting the truth, or I leave."

"Why didn't you fight for me?"

"I did."

"You didn't. I fought for my son. You gave me to Frieza without a hint of a struggle."

"There wasn't much point. Frieza and his warriors were much stronger, I would have died, and you would have been there forever." King Vegeta swallowed hard after admitting this piece of information. He had not forgotten his weakness and wasn't exactly eager to reminisce.

"Well, that's how it all ended anyway."

"Because in the end, I fought for you. I tried to get you back, my son. I gathered the Saiyan elite, the most powerful warriors of our planet went with me as we confronted Frieza. He killed me. What did it matter?"

"You regret dying." Vegeta stated matter-of-factly.

"No one likes dying."

"I died for my son."

"What?"

"It was the only way to kill Majin Buu."

"Majin what?" The king was truly confused now.

"I sacrificed myself in order to save my son, my attempt failed, but at least I could take pride in knowing my son was alive. At least I bothered." he spat.

"But…that's impossible. How can you be alive?"

"I got wished back."

The king stared at his son with a blank face. "I don't follow"

"Oh, I am sorry." came another mocking.

"You're acting like a petulant child. What is it that you don't like? Are you unhappy about everything, or is it because I said something you didn't like?"

"Guess."

"What is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?"

"I need some time" he responded softly.

"What?"

"Time…to digest this. Just…give me some time away from you. I'm sick of speaking to you"

"Then go back to Earth. Who's stopping you?"

"I'm not finished with you" Vegeta replied gruffly. "Don't leave the cottage. I will be be back soon"


	9. You have to believe me

_A/N: If you have any ideas for the final chapter, feel free to tell me. Also, just in case: the king is not OOC, as he has no C. The flashback in this chapter is directly from the episode 'Fighting power one million?', which I did not write. _

**Disclaimer: If I owned DBZ, this would be an actual episode. And Yamcha would be dead. Also, I'd have let TeamFourStar write everything.**

* * *

Vegeta flew off surrounded by his blue aura. The confusion in his mind was suffocating. If his father was telling him the truth, it meant that a large part of his anger was directed at the wrong person. For the most part of his life, he had blamed his father, not Frieza._ And now that sick bastard was solemnly responsible for all of this. No, not all of it. My father's a pathetic weakling that couldn't even defend his own son. He even let his own mate die. A worthless father, a worthless mate and an even more worthless king. Pathetic._

"Vegeta, what are you doing here?" He heard a voice ask suddenly. He turned around and stared in the face of the Supreme Kai; he had flown right onto his planet. "You were supposed to let one of the guards contact me. Are you finished?"

"No." Vegeta replied. "I simply need some time away from the old man."

The Kai inspected Vegeta's face. "Would you like to speak to Bulma?"

"Of course not" Vegeta answered quickly. "Why would you assume that? I'm perfectly capable of handling this on my own."

"I know that, Vegeta. I know you're a very strong man, I was just trying to help." "I don't need your help." "Then I will take you back to your father. He's probably wondering where you are."

"Hn." Vegeta snorted. "I'm sure he's cherishing the moments when I'm not there. He can relax and think about all the wonderful things he's done"

"Either you go back to your father, or it's the end of your conversation with him. This was not part of our deal; you were not supposed to leave the house."

* * *

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you anytime soon?" Bulma asked Trunks.

"No" he answered gruffly.

"Trunks…" Trunks cut her off. "Drop it mom."

"Young man, you will not speak to me like that. How about a nice: Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness ma'am, I'm sorry to be such a grumpy head all the time." Bulma finished with a smile. "I'm not grumpy mom. Just a little…I don't know. Just…you know."

"Yeah Trunks, I know"

* * *

"What is your problem? I only wish to be left alone for five minutes." Vegeta snarled.

"Five minutes, not more. Use your time well, I will go and tell your father that you'll be back soon." the Supreme Kai said sternly.

Vegeta cursed under his breath. He started thinking about his father again.

_Why does he have to be such a pathetic excuse for a man? Why can't he be the proper king he was born to be? I was supposed to be proud of my father, the mighty Saiyan king. I always thought high of him, up until Frieza told me that he had killed him with a single kick. What kind of king disobeys his emperor, the man responsible for his planet's economy? Why couldn't he wait for the Legendary before he organized a riot against Frieza, he should have known he was no match for him. And now I'm stuck in one room with him. He refuses to see that he was wrong. Making up his evident lies. Did he truly expect me to see believe his story? If he did, he's an even bigger fool than I thought he was. Idiot._

"What is wrong with the boy?" The king bellowed.

"I don't know, I think he just needs some time to digest certain information. This is very hard on him, you have to understand that." the Supreme Kai replied.

The king shrugs. "He doesn't believe me. I don't understand why he's here, he wanted me to answer his questions, yet he refuses to believe the answers. I am wasting my time."

"You shouldn't see it that way. He is a very strong man, who has believed things all his life, and now he learns that everything he thought he knew turned out to be a lie. He needs some time to let go of his stubbornness, and start believing you. I'm sure he'll be fine. You must understand this, after all: his stubbornness didn't come from Rosicheena."

"I see. Now, get out and leave me be."

_That darn kid. And that foul Supreme Kai. Who does he think he is, bringing up Rosicheena in my presence? My son did not inherit his manners from me, I am nothing like him. I'm not, he is much more… Oh for the Legendary's sake, I am not some…Why doesn't he believe me? What did I do to ruin my credibility? He's driving me insane._

"Father." the king suddenly heard come out of the doorway.

"What?"

Vegeta entered the house and sat down opposite his father. He gave him a stern look. "I'm back. And I'm sick of your lies."

"They're not lies." The king pleaded.

"Prove it"

"How?"

"There's a machine called a memory extractor, you think of a memory, and it shows up on a screen."

"Bring it here."

"Impossible."

"And why is that?"

"Because it's on the planet Earth, there isn't one here in Other World."

"Then why did you ask me to prove it? Were you calling my bluff?" he asked offended.

"I might have."

"Your lack of confidence in me is highly irritating"

"You haven't exactly done anything to make me see you otherwise now have you?"

"I am trying" the King argued. "But you haven't been very receptive"

"And you find that strange?" Vegeta snarled.

"Vegeta. Stop it, stop these mind games you're playing this instant. Answer me straight. Why don't you believe me?"

Vegeta hesitated for a moment before answering. "I've heard many versions of the story in my life, why should I believe yours?"

"Because I'm your father."

* * *

"Trunks, Bra, dinner's ready!" Bulma called up the stairs.

"Coming, mommy" Bra replied as she ran down the stairs, in to the dining room.

"Oh wow, sweetie. That's a pretty dress you're wearing!" Bulma said to her daughter. She was wearing a pink dress, with a big bow around her waist and silver lace around her arms. "Mommy, guess what! I was playing with my toys, and then something silver came out of my hand!"

"Something silver came out of your hand?" Bulma asked again, worried. She did not like where this was heading. Bra nodded vividly. "Uhuh, and it blew up my doll" She finished with a big smile. "Oh, sweetie, I think you need to tell that to daddy when he comes home, ok?" Bulma replied sweetly. _Before you blow up the house_

"Mom, I have a question" Bra said suddenly. Bulma looked down at her with a smile.

"Go ahead and ask it, honey"

"Why do I call daddy 'daddy', when that's not his real name?" Bulma thought about this for a second. Bra was five years old, so maybe it's a little too early to tell her about the birds and the bees yet. "You call Vegeta 'daddy', because he takes care of you. Because he's been taking care of you since you were a little girl, and he'll still be here when you grow up."

* * *

"You don't deserve that title." Vegeta spat.

"I have nothing to be ashamed of. I gave you away because there was no other option, I didn't sell you or trade you for anything other than your life. Is it impossible for you to imagine that Frieza was capable of threatening to kill you?" the King asked. He was almost pleading now. _You have to believe me he thought. I didn't die trying to get you back so you could call me a liar. _

"Why didn't you stand up to him, then? If you cared so much about me, then why couldn't you just tell him that you wanted to keep me? That you would raise me to respect Frieza, and that I was loyal to him?" Vegeta demanded.

"You think I didn't?" the king replied softly. "I tried. He said I was weak, and that I held your life in too much value. Had there been any other option, I…- I would have taken it. "Vegeta raised an eyebrow at his father's sudden display of vulnerability. "Enough, I'm not feeling any pity"

"I do not want you to pity me, but perhaps it's time to stop pitying yourself."

Vegeta blew up. "I pity myself? You fool. You don't know what I've been through. I've held my head high through everything, never once losing my dignity. Pity is an emotion I don't feel. I am a true warrior, I don't feel emotions." He yelled.

"You think you're the only one that's had a difficult life?" the king yelled back. "So your parents were dead and you grew up at Frieza's base. Tough shit! You think you're the only one that's had it rough? I've been abused, tortured and humiliated too just as a million other soldiers, there's nothing special about your situation. Let go of it!"

"I was the prince of a dead race! At least you had the prospect of becoming a king when you were at Cold's ship. I had nothing"

"Wrong again. I didn't believe my father would let me have the throne, he never thought very highly of me." the King responded calmly.

"Neither do I."

"I never would have guessed."

"So what's your problem old man?"

"I want you to believe me."

"Give up."

"Never."

"Is it that important?"

"No, I simply refuse to give up."

Vegeta chuckled. It was strange to see how he and his father were so much alike: they both refused to admit that something could be important to them personally.

"You wanted to hear the truth, and I'm telling it. You don't believe me, so that's your problem. I am sick of trying to convince you otherwise." his fathers voice interrupted his chain of thought.

"Would you have died for me?" Vegeta suddenly asked.

"Yes." the king answered without hesitation. "In case you didn't notice, I am dead at the moment."

"If Frieza gave you the choice, whose life would you keep, mine or yours?"

"Yours."

"Prove it."

"How?"

"I was lying about the memory extractor, there is one in this house."

The king automatically looked around to find the machine in question, but all he saw was ugly wooden furniture.

"It's in my hand. My mate put one on the backside of a picture." Vegeta told his father.

"Give it to me" the king ordered. Vegeta pulled out a small, black chip, the size of a post stamp. "Put it at the side of your head, and try seeing the memory in front of you"

_"So, are we still in agreement about your son?" Frieza asked the king_

_"Yes, you can…have him" The king answered. He gritted his teeth and looked at Frieza with immense hatred in his face. Frieza looked amused at the king._

"That's it? That doesn't quite do it, father?"

"No, it's not finished yet" the king replied

_"My Lord, we can't give the prince away. I'd rather die than do that."_

_"Me too, Zorn. But for now, we do as he says. Our time will come."_

"That's all I can prove to you, I never told anyone that I considered giving my life for you. Such behavior is unsuitable for a king. You have to believe me. I didn't give you away to Frieza because I wanted to, I would have died rather than that."

It was silent for a very long time, until it finally happened: Vegeta nodded.


	10. Freudian mind reading

_A/N: Some of you might have wondered if I were still alive. I am, but the truth is I didn't know how to end this story. In fact, I still don't. I'm not sure if it's finished yet...I'll have you decide that!_

_When I was suffering from a complete loss of inspiration, I gradually lost interest in this fandom. I was progressing into life and simply couldn't find the time or desire to finish the story. __But not too long ago I got a nice review, and decided I was going to give it another shot. As you might have noticed, it's been over 5 years and my style has changed, hopefully for the better :) _

_Like I said, I'm not entirely sure if the story is finished. If you feel like it's not, please let me know. I'll see if I can squeeze out something. __All the best to you, thank you so much for your reviews! They're what made me come back :) I hope you'll all forgive my absence._

_PS: If you haven't discovered Dragon Ball Z Abridged yet, go to Youtube NOW. After reading the story of course._

**Disclaimer: Please. Freeza's voice would have been way different.**

The two Saiyans had been silent for several minutes. Neither of them wanted to speak first and acknowledge the situation they were now in. They were still staring at each other, daring the other to break eye contact only sound in the cabin was coming from the guards outside, chatting near an open window. Vegeta swallowed hard. This had been the accumulation of his life's wishes. While he'd never admit it to anyone, including himself, his father's rejection had hurt him. Being handed over to Freeza without a fight had been one of the reasons that he kept going. The anger he felt when he thought about how he wasn't good enough for his father kept him going through everything. It made him want to be better, to prove he was wrong.

But now, all of that had shattered. Everything he believed to be true had been a lie. He wasn't a disappointment to his father, and neither was he considered unimportant by the man that meant so much to him. While those particular facts should have been cause for at least some happiness, he couldn't bring himself to feel any. Vegeta had always thrived because of his anger. It gave him a drive unequaled by anyone in the universe. But in the course of his life, the reasons for his anger had been taken away one by one. First he finally finished that idiot Nappa, then Freeza died. He settled down, lost his killer edge. And now? Now he couldn't even hate his father? The only one that was left was Kakarrot, and Vegeta prefered not to think about him. The Saiyan prince had no enemy left, and this frustrated him greatly. Bah, now I'll definitely turn soft.

He had been so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't hear his father calling him. The King had noticed his son's mind had wandered off, and he didn't want to lose him now that he was on his good side.

"Vegeta." the King tried again. "What do you want?" Vegeta snapped. "I was wondering...what happened to your tail?" the King hesistantly asked.

Vegeta sighed. _Great. Now what? _"It was cut off by a fat man with a sword."

The silence returned after that comment.

* * *

"Trunks, are you going to make me chase you? Because I will follow you around all day until you tell me what is up with you, young man."

Trunks sighed. His mother could be impossible at times. He briefly considered flying off and hiding out until his sister blew up a part of the house, but decided that might put his mom in a bad mood. And he did not want to deal with that if his dad wasn't around.

"Whatever problems he's going to have, it'll be my fault." he finally answered.

Bulma didn't need to think about what her son meant by that. "Sweetie, he's a grown man. He can handle himself, it'll be fine. You have nothing to do with whatever is going on there, trust me."

"Mom, you don't even believe that. I see you sitting there, looking worried. It's my fault. Father only stayed because I was born, and if I hadn't been there he wouldn't be - "Stop it right there, Trunks" Bulma interrupted. "Now you listen to me. Your grandfather wasn't around, so he has no right to judge his son. Your dad chose his own life, and we're happy you're here. So if the King has a problem with you, he has a problem with your dad. And your dad can handle even the toughest guys around." Bulma cheerfully finished. "Now, let's go back and inside and get you something to eat, Trunksy. You are a real Saiyan after all." she winked as she forced her son back into the kitchen.

* * *

"I'm not here for your approval" Vegeta suddenly said.

"What?"

"Your approval. I have no need for it."

"Yes, so you've mentioned. What is your point?" the King asked.

Vegeta shot his father a glare. He wasn't sure how to reply to that question. What was his point?

"Let me rephrase." the King quickly said. "Why did you want to speak with me? You said you had questions, but it seemed like you already knew the answers and just wanted confirmation. Then you refused to believe otherwise. Therefore I've yet to comprehend the purpose of your visit." He was treading on thin ice and he knew it, but he needed to know what his son wanted. While he would never directly ask him, he needed to know if there was something he could do compensate for his past inadequacy.

Vegeta weighed his words carefully. He didn't want to seem weak, like some pathetic child begging his father for approval. "I wanted you to know."

"Know what? That you're strong? I never doubted your potential." King Vegeta proudly said.

"That I did it. And I did it without you. You were a disappointment to your race, while I have risen beyond the limits of an ordinary Super Saiyan. I don't need you." Vegeta's arrogant smirk was restored to it's full glory as he saw the expression on his father's face. However, it quickly faded as his father crossed his arms and stared at him, hard. "You are angry because of my absence. Because I was not there to witness your triumphs." He said slowly.

"How great, father. I never knew you got a degree in Freudian mind-reading." came Vegeta's sarcastic response.

" A what? Is that some moronic Earthling reference I don't understand?"

Vegeta growled at his father's disrespectful tone. "You fully understand my point, old man. What makes you think there's more to it than I say?"

"Because if you just wanted to flaunt your strength, you would have asked for a meeting with Freeza."

"Wrong again, father. Freeza already had his humiliation when my son killed him. He knows he's not a match for the almighty Saiyan race. You still needed to see it for yourself." Vegeta's tone had become increasingly more threatening. He didn't like his father implying that there were some ludicrous emotions behind his request to speak with him. It was a matter of pride, not some unresolved daddy-issues.

King Vegeta laughed bitterly. "Yes, because unlike Freeza, I haven't suffered any humilation. Giving you up to him was the proudest moment of my life."

"Enough!" Vegeta yelled out as his fist broke the table. His father chuckled. "How does your weakling mate deal with such violent outbursts?" He mockingly asked his son.

"I tend to control my temper around those I have a modicum of respect for."

King Vegeta's expression hardened again. "That will be enough. What do you want from me? You have showed me your strength, your achievements, your family."

There was venom dripping from the last word, but Vegeta pretended not to notice. He was done arguing with his father. "I don't have to listen to your complaining about my family. You were too weak to keep yours together. I've protected mine like a man, and they've all become worth more than your life ever was. I don't need your approval."

"Then why even tell me about them? You brought pictures. Why even show them to me if my opinion means nothing to you?" The hostility had left the King's voice. Like his son, he was done arguing. It was obvious that his grandchildren were a sensitive topic. _It probably has something to do with his attachment to that woman. Has she weakened him? Is that why he's here? Does he want me to agree with his decisions? Bah. Maybe accepting his blasted half-breeds will give him what he wants._

"Because I wanted you to know. This is the way it is. I have chosen my path. It is the right one, despite what you may think." Vegeta answered his father stoically. "I assumed you hadn't lost interest in my life after you gave me to Freeza. But obviously I was wrong."

"No." The King answered. "If this is as you choose, I...I trust your judgement."


End file.
